October 2004

World

U.S. and Iraqi Troops Attack Insurgents (Oct. 1): More than 5,000 soldiers attempt to take over Samarra, held by militants. As many as 125 insurgents killed. (Oct. 3): U.S. and Iraqi troops take control of Samarra.

Report Concludes No Illicit Weapons in Iraq (Oct. 6): Final report by chief weapons inspector Charles Duelfer says Iraq “essentially destroyed” all illicit weapons by the end of 1991 and had no such programs underway. Report also says Saddam Hussein had intended to resume weapons program.

Cambodian King Abdicates (Oct. 7): Move by King Norodom Sihanouk casts confusion over country as there's no clear successor. (Oct. 11): Throne Council names his son Prince Norodom Sihamoni king.

Israelis Targeted in Egypt (Oct. 8): At least 30 people die in three bombings at three resorts in the Sinai Peninsula.

Briton Beheaded in Iraq (Oct. 8): Insurgent group One God and Jihad claims responsibility for death of engineer Kenneth Bigley.

Afghanistan Holds Elections (Oct. 9): Turnout high for presidential election. President Hamid Karzai and 17 other candidates on ballot. Karzai's rivals allege corruption and fraud. (Oct. 10): The UN says it will form an independent commission to investigate the election. (Oct. 24): Karzai wins election, taking 55.3% of the vote, according to preliminary results.

Tons of Explosives Missing in Iraq (Oct. 25):New York Times reports that about 380 tons of powerful explosives disappeared from military installation called Al Qaqaa sometime after the U.S.-led war began in 2003.

Israeli Parliament Approves Sharon Plan (Oct. 26): Votes, 67–45, in favor of prime minister's proposal to remove settlements and soldiers from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank.

Arafat Seeks Medical Treatment (Oct. 29): Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat, who has been ill with a stomach ailment, travels to a Paris hospital.

Nation

Rumsfeld Plays Down Iraq–al-Qaeda Link (Oct. 4): Tells Council on Foreign Relations that he sees no “strong, hard evidence” of a connection.

Candidates Debate Issues (Oct. 5): Vice President Dick Cheney and Sen. John Edwards aggressively attack each other's records in their first and only debate. War in Iraq dominates session. (Oct. 8): President Bush and Sen. John Kerry field questions from undecided voters in a town-hall-style debate. (Oct. 14): In final debate, candidates attack each other's domestic policies.

Malaria Vaccine Proves Promising (Oct. 15): Director of the Malaria Vaccine Initiative says vaccine tested on children in Mozambique prevented disease in 30% of cases and prevented life-threatening illness 58% of the time.

Skeletons of Tiny People Found (Oct. 28): Australian and Indonesian archaeologists have unearthed skeletons of tiny people who are being called Homo floresiensis. These 3-foot-tall people had very long arms, heads the size of grapefruit, and are believed to have disappeared only 13,000 years ago, or perhaps even more recently.